Chryssoula Palassis 16, of Delhi, will be a costumed dancer this weekend at the annual Panegyri Festival at Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Finneytown. (Brandi Stafford/The Enquirer)

So you don't have plane tickets and hotel reservations in hand for Greece to see the Olympic games, which begin Aug. 13 in Athens. That doesn't mean you can't absorb a little Greek culture right here at home.

You can nibble baklava while watching the diving competition, and learn a new Greek word before the water polo ball hits the pool. You and your pals can do your usual synchronized swimming routine to Greek music, then dance around your living room like you're at a big fat Greek wedding.

This summer, it's easy to go Greek in Cincinnati - we'll show you how:

Food: Dine like the Greeks do

Some joke that if you want to eat Greek in Cincinnati, you'd better get your fill every June at the Panegyri Greek Festival at Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Finneytown. True, there are no Cincinnati restaurants that match the menu variety of that weekend festival, but there are a few that offer things Greek to eat in or take out:

Athenian Restaurant, 10966 Reading Road, Sharonville; 733-8482.

Corinthian Restaurant, 3253 Jefferson Ave., Corryville; 961-0013.

Greek to Me, 3415 Dixie Highway, Erlanger; (859) 727-3000.

Jordan Valley Restaurant, 211 W. Fourth St., downtown; 929-9299.

Mediterranean Foods, 3124 Ludlow Ave., Clifton; 961-6060.

Mediterranean Imports, 108 W. Elder, Over-the-Rhine, 241-8222.

Myra's Dionysus, 121 Calhoun St., Mount Auburn; 961-1578.

Sebastian's, 5209 Glenway Ave., Price Hill; 471-2100

Temple Restaurant, 120 W. Sixth St., downtown; 241-2701.

Sounds like Greek to me

Baklava (BAHK-la-vah): Baked layers of butter-drenched phyllo pastry, spices and chopped nuts covered with spiced honey-lemon syrup.

Gyro (JEER-oh or zheer-oh): Spiced, minced lamb molded around a spit and roasted. The meat is shaved and tucked into pita bread and topped with onions, sweet peppers and cucumber-yogurt sauce called tzatziki (dzah-DZEE-kee).

Souvlaki (soo-VLAH-kee): Marinated lamb chunks skewered and grilled with chunks of green peppers, onion and other vegetables.

Spanakopita (span-uh-KOH-pih-tuh): A savory pie with top and bottom crusts of phyllo filled with spinach and onions mixed with feta cheese, eggs and seasonings.

— Chuck Martin